[Ads-l] Joke: "He's too caustic." "Hang the expense! Get him!" (1930) (UNCLASSIFIED)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Fascinating citation, Bill; thanks for locating it. So, Robert
Benchley might have been the instigator. I've updated the QI entry and
added an acknowledgement to you.

Garson

On Fri, Oct 23, 2015 at 10:26 AM, Mullins, Bill CIV (US)
<william.d.mullins18.civ at mail.mil> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Mullins, Bill CIV (US)" <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL>
> Subject:      Re: Joke: "He's too caustic." "Hang the expense! Get him!" (1930)
>               (UNCLASSIFIED)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
>
> The same anecdote (with slightly different wording) appears in Winchell's "=
> On Broadway" column that appeared in the _Scranton [PA] Republican_ 9 Jan 1=
> 930 p 5 col 2 (Newspapers.com).
>
> "Then there's a quip that Robert C. Benchley spread around the Fulton theat=
> er foyer the other first-night.  It concerns the two Hollywood movie magnat=
> es who graduated to the Gold Coast from the Garment Centre. They were in co=
> nference trying to save a picture that lacked, what critics usually call, "=
> a wallop."=20
>
> "If we could only get someone to fix it up," said one.=20
>
> 'Why don't you get Jim Tully," suggested an executive.=20
>
> "Jim Tully is too caustic!"=20
>
> "Oh," thundered one of the magnates, "the hell with the cost, get him." "
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf =
> Of MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY RDECOM
>> AMRDEC (US)
>> Sent: Friday, October 23, 2015 9:06 AM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: Joke: "He's too caustic." "Hang the expense! Get him!" (1930=
> )=20
>>=20
>> ----
>>=20
>> _Motion Picture News_ 11 Jan 1930 p 28 col 3
>>=20
>> " Walter Winchell relates "a quip that Robert C. Benchley spread around t=
> he=3D  Fulton Theatre foyer the other first-night. It concerns the two
>> Hollywood =3D movie magnates who graduated to the Gold Coast from the Gar=
> ment Centre. The=3D y were in conference trying to save a
>> picture that lacked, what critics usu=3D ally call, "a wallop."=3D20
>>=20
>> "If we could only get someone to fix it up," said one.=3D20
>>=20
>> 'Why don't you get Jim Tully," suggested an executive.=3D20
>>=20
>> "Jim Tully is too caustic!"=3D20
>>=20
>> "Oh," thundered one of the magnates, "the devil with the cost, get him." =
> "
>>=20
>>=20
> CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org